Another Imagining - Sidestories
by Mickey Seraphin
Summary: A series of companion oneshots to the world of Another Imagining. Extra 4 - When Phantom Lord lashes out at Fairy Tail, Lucy is asked to sleep over at the girls' dormitory. What results is quite a welcome to Fairy Hills, indeed.
1. Extra 1

_So with the alternate branch of the Fairy Tail world I've created in Another Imagining, there were a lot of fun little omake-type moments that even though there wasn't much of a place in the main story, I thought deserved to be written out. The solution? Sidestories! With the progress I've made with my fic, I feel it's appropriate. So, if you've taken to my rendition, then I hope you enjoy these accompanying oneshots. If you're not familiar with my rendition of the series, but still intrigued with the subject matter at hand of each chapter (the summary on the front page will change accordingly for every new edition), no worries, because you're invited along too. _

_Since they're my favorite pairing, the first in our series of extras is a fluffy Natsu/Lisanna piece. In my continuity, this would take place right before Natsu's fight with Erza in Chapter 8. What were they up to the day leading to the big showdown? Let's find out!_

* * *

><p><strong>Extra 1<br>- Don't Think. Feel! -**

The day after Lucy had accompanied the team of Natsu, Happy, Lisanna, Mirajane, and Elfman to defeat the Dark Guild Eisenwald, she cheerfully walked into the guild hall. She was already familiar with the first floor's layout after just three days as a member of Fairy Tail, and could distinguish a good portion of her fellow wizarding mates. One of the friendlier faces signaled her over to the bar as soon as she was spotted, moving aside a large barrel of alcohol to make room for the blonde girl.

"So what's on the agenda for today, Lucy?" Cana asked with a grin, running a finger along the barrel's side. "Whatever ass-kickings of justice you're planning on dishing out, you better make sure you're back by tomorrow."

Lucy blushed slightly. No thanks to the embellishing constitution of a certain flying cat, a reputation had already spread throughout the guild to paint her as some kind of infallible shining hero. Her efforts to try sort out the truth to the others only added 'modest' to the growing list of reasons to admire the Celestial Wizard. "So that's when Erza agreed to have the fight?"

"Well, it's definitely not happening today," the brunette shrugged. "When Natsu got in her face about it earlier, she nearly punched those pointy teeth of his down his throat. It's not a lock, but there's a really good chance she'll take him up on it tomorrow."

Lucy looked out across the hall, catching sight of Natsu staring daggers at Erza a few tables over. The redhead was oblivious to his glowering in the reverie of her cheesecake, while Lisanna and Happy fruitlessly tried to keep the boy distracted with conversation. "It's the weirdest thing," she commented, speaking of the two childhood friends. "Any other guy would love to have a girl as sweet and pretty as Lisanna around him all the time, but the only thing Natsu seems to be interested in is trying to find someone to fight with."

"That kid's totally clueless," Cana smirked. She knew Lucy didn't need this proven after the adventures they'd been on together, but still, she thought inciting an example would be fun. "Check this out," she winked, leaving the bar and striding over to the trio's table, Lucy a step behind as she followed her lead. "So, you two," the brunette coyly addressed Natsu and Lisanna, breaking his gaze away from Erza, "when are you gonna make it _offish_?"

The pink-haired young man blinked at her. "Huh? A fish?" he thought he was repeating, completely misunderstanding that Cana had simply played with the word 'official'. "Um, you wanna take this one, Happy?"

Lisanna sighed, while the blue feline got a twinkle in his eyes as he caught on. "Are you talking about Lisanna's Fish Take Over?" he inquired innocently. "I never knew how a soul could tear in conflict until I saw that transformation."

"Cana," the youngest of the Strauss siblings chided playfully, "don't tease the poor boy. You know he doesn't get stuff like that; it just goes over his head."

"Hey!" Natsu shouted defensively at his human best friend. "First of all, _you_ tease me all the time! In fact you did it just now, which leads me to my second point! I get stuff! Maybe not in this particular instance, but I get stuff!"

He growled at the dubious way the three girls giggled at his claim, just on the verge of bursting in full-out laughter. Even Happy was stifling his reaction, using his paws to cover up a huge grin. The mockery combined with his already being on-edge over his fight's delay, and Natsu shouted at the ceiling that they were all jerks amidst a jet of flames searing from his mouth, before marching out of the building in a smoking huff.

"He's okay, right?" Lucy asked, worried that they might've pushed him a little too far. At least he hadn't unleashed his frustrations by sparking a brawl with the other members. Erza and Gray were in the vicinity, so the fact that he'd avoided them on his way out was probably a good sign of restraint.

"He'll be fine," Lisanna said, even though guilt dotted her smile.

"We should probably go after him," Happy suggested to her, his ulterior motives easy to read through his smirking. "You know how he is when he gets mad. We don't want him getting into any trouble, do we?"

Cana nodded in support, Lucy joining a second later. Lisanna shook her head at the corner she was backed into, but submitted to their little game as she rose from her table. With Happy hovering at her shoulders, she began on her way out of the guild, catching the cheeky grins Mira and Makarov aimed at her, sitting together at the bar. Elfman was giving her a frown with his massive arms crossed from his post at the request board, but did nothing to keep his little sister.

"You guys don't have to sucker me like that to get me alone with Natsu," she quietly reneged to Happy as they exited through the doors. "And really, wouldn't this work a lot better if you didn't come along?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he feigned ignorance. "I just wanna make sure my best pal doesn't do anything stupid."

Since he didn't have much of a lead, it didn't take long before they caught up to Natsu, powerwalking a familiar course through Magnolia. He eyed them grumpily after they called out to them, but his visage softened as he slowed to let them take his side. No words, no accusations or explanations, just an exchange of smiles as they continued to their favorite destination.

A few minutes later they were outside of the city, hiking through the East Forest, aiming to reach the cliff clearing that always provided a gorgeous view of the sunset. That wouldn't be for many more hours, but they had nothing else to do for the rest of the day. Might as well wait it out at their private home away from home.

The Dragon Slayer enjoyed the calm sounds of nature as they ventured in deeper. Being fed up with their antagonizing, he and Elfman had dealt with the Gorians some time ago, ensuring they'd never pop out of their holes to give them any more trouble. Now they could relax as they strolled on, allowing him to catch an unrecognizable but distinctly-special ruffling of feathers. "Hey, Lisanna," he motioned with his head after spotting the streaking white flash.

She followed his gaze, her sights falling on a glorious snow-white hawk. Her face lit up as the avian majestically spread her wings to perch on a high branch, surveying the field below for her next meal. "She's beautiful," she breathed, stepping off the trail to come up to her tree.

Natsu watched Lisanna as she held her forearm out for the hawk to land on. It always scared him initially, whenever she'd encourage a bird over to her. He didn't want to see razor-sharp talons anywhere near her porcelain skin, but over the years he'd learned to trust her relationship with animals. They'd never hurt her, just as she'd never hurt them.

Lisanna wordlessly communicated with the raptor, peering into her fierce eyes with her own gentle ones. With her consent, she placed a glowing hand on the back of her neck. Her soul laid open to the girl, she Took Over the hawk, absorbing a piece of her into herself. When the process was finished, she stroked her plumage with a gracious smile, before letting her flap back up to her lookout.

She rejoined Natsu and Happy on the path, and the pink-haired boy couldn't help but smile at her elation.

He was the first to come up to the little hut that had withstood nature's whims for the past six years. Abiding by custom, he allowed Lisanna to crawl into the straw structure she'd built, Happy trotting in next to settle to her right. The Dragon Slayer was the last one in, greeted by a precious expression from the lovely young lady. "Welcome back, Dear," she smiled.

"Hi, Honey," he whined playfully. The embarrassment of their childhood ritual had never worn away, and only increased when he noticed Happy's gleaming eyes at the back-and-forth starting a few years back. Still, he didn't mind having to endure it when she gave him that look. "I'm home."

He leaned against the unprecedented sturdiness of the hut, to the girl's left to leave her in the middle. As time went on and the two grew from preteens to the earliest stages of adulthood, their little hideaway had become much more cramped. Their frames filling out took up considerable space, and yet, they found it no less cozy, comforting and inviting to them as the day it was first established.

Lisanna warmly linked their arms together, the red marks of the guild they loved and took so much pride in appearing like matching tattoos next to each other. It was for this reason that even as Happy varied who he sat beside, she and Natsu never changed how they lined up within the hut.

"I'm sorry for what I said back there," she said, tucking in her legs. "I know have your clever moments every now and again."

"That's right," Natsu responded with a smug grin. "Besides," he continued a second later, his voice taking on a softness reserved only for her, "what do I need to be super-smart for, anyway? That's why I've got you and Happy."

"Aye," he agreed, nodding at the praise he felt was well-deserved and quite overdo.

Lisanna giggled as she scratched behind Happy's ears, the cat beginning to purr absently at her massage. "What would you do without us?" she asked, keeping her eyes on Natsu. Her head was slightly tilted to the side, the tiniest, cutest little gesture that made his breathing catch in his fiery dragon's lungs, and caused his words to stumble ineloquently off of his naive boy's tongue.

"What would _you_ do without me?" he tried countering, but he knew he'd lost the round.

"Well, since I'm always having to keep you from running around making things difficult," she began teasingly, putting a fingertip on her chin, "I'd probably have a lot of spare time on my hands. I could go and get a boyfriend or something."

Natsu's olive skin paled. "Get a... boyfriend?" he echoed, choking out the last word. His face filled with heartbreak at the thought, and his arm went limp around hers.

The girl was immediately swept with regret over her reply. "Oh," she whispered apologetically, tightening their connection to make up for his slack. "I was just kidding. It was a really stupid joke. I don't want a boyfriend."

The fact that she didn't sound pleading convinced him she was being honest, not just backpedaling. Even so, the jest had hurt him down to his very core. Never did Natsu ever envision Lisanna with someone else. When the concept was proposed by some of his guildmates once before, he made sure that discussion was never to be brought to his ears again. After knocking out the whole lot of them for it, he had only needed to see her, sighing with a smile at the carnage, to be set at peace.

Hearing it come from her own lips, however, struck him with a pain he could only compare to one thing. Not the beatings he'd received from Erza, Mira, Laxus, and Gildarts, after he challenged them with his fist already reared back; they didn't even register. Not the near-fatal blow he'd taken against The Beast while shielding Lisanna; there was still another atmosphere between them there. No, just imagining that scenario felt most like the desolate sense of loss after Igneel disappeared. There would be a pitch-dark vacancy in his heart if that ever came to pass.

It took him a second before he reminded himself she was still right there, beside him. With him. And there was no way he was going to let her go so easily.

"I don't think there's a guy in the entire world that would wanna be your boyfriend," he said quietly. Out of context, that could've been a very hurtful comment itself, but seeing his gentle smile, and feeling his arm reciprocate again, Lisanna knew he meant no such sentiment. "With Mira and Elfman as your family, no one would even dare trying to brave it. Not unless they were totally dense, and stuff like that went over their heads."

The white-haired girl beamed at him as she leaned in closer. "Don't forget," she said with a wink, "I have more family, too. I don't think the son of a dragon and a ferocious blue cat would be any more forgiving than Mira and Big Brother Elf."

It was rare that Happy enjoyed his presence being ignored. Sometimes, even though he was being spoken of or indirectly replied to, it was still like he wasn't there at all, and normally it was his biggest pet peeve. Moments like this, between his best friends, the boy and the girl that had hatched him together, actually made him appreciative of the arrangement. He was the only one that got to see the two snuggled up and as relatively vulnerable as they allowed themselves to be, and that made his invisibility worthwhile.

Natsu looked up at the ceiling of the hut with a dreamy smile, wholly assuaged of the fear that someday she would depart from his side, as he stared out at the cheery blue sky through the small opening left at the apex of the dome. "Igneel's gonna love you guys."

"I can't wait to meet him," Lisanna said with hushed excitement. Years of the boy cutely talking up his foster father had made her feel like she already knew the great Fire Dragon. She truly looked forward to the day the two would reunite, and she would be formally introduced.

"I wonder what he would think, about me already having a family," he grinned. "I can just imagine the look on his face when I'd tell him, 'Hey Igneel, guess what? You're a grandpa!'"

The three shared a laugh at the thought. Not long after, they shifted to lay on their backs, watching the small wisps of cloud roll through the hole above them. Eventually, in their special way without words, they decided that a nap was in order. For the rest of the afternoon, they slept peacefully on the crisp straw floor. It was the first time in a long while that they had done so, perhaps why Natsu felt his sore muscles from his battle the day before completely refreshed when he awoke.

Lisanna was still asleep, and he found that in their slumber, her hand had stirred into his. Their fingertips brushed together, and he remained completely still, despite his face feeling strangely hot.

Watching her for a moment, he was reminded of when Igneel had first taught him about angels. They were supposed to be radiant winged beings, glowing a transcendent white, but the dragon had scoffed at the notion. In all his years, he'd never encountered anything of the sort in the sky.

Natsu then added that to the list of tales he'd brag about to him, for he'd discovered an angel on the ground.

When he finally turned away from her, he noticed the sky was no longer blue, but rather a healthy orange. He sat up and poked the girl awake, Happy chained into regaining consciousness as well. Realizing the time, they crawled back outside to bid the sun a good night in its last few minutes.

"It's always going to be so amazing," Lisanna observed. Not just the sunset, but the instances that they were gathered in such warmth. It might not last forever, but the now was just beautiful.

"Yeah," Natsu agreed. There were many things that made him smile, but hers was his favorite.

"Aye," Happy rounded them out, discreetly looking at the two staring out at the horizon, looking over at one another every few seconds. They were always so happy to be together, and it made him even happier to think of the day their feelings would break free into another infinity.

* * *

><p><em>And there we have our first Another Imagining Sidestory. This is my favorite pairing in Fairy Tail, and even if other NatsuLisanna shippers don't follow my main story, I'd hope that you still got to enjoy it as a standalone oneshot._

_But, the idea behind these Sidestories isn't just to proclaim my love for these two exclusively. More often than not, I probably won't give an outright description of the next chapter, but because the next one corresponds with this one, I will right now. The next chapter will feature a fun friendship tale of adventure and bonding between Lucy and Cana, and it actually begins right after we shift from their perspective in this edition. What did the two girls do after Natsu, Lisanna, and Happy left the guild? We'll catch that other side of the coin next time, so I hope to see you there!_

_Oh, and what kind of Mickey S. work would this be if I didn't ask for reviews at the end? I love hearing what you guys think, so if you take the time to review after reading, I'd much appreciate it!_


	2. Extra 2

_So here we are with the second installment of AI Sidestories. This go-round will place focus on Lucy and her budding friendship with Cana. I loved the chemistry between the two in canon's Tenrou Island arc, so I decided to introduce it much earlier for my world._

_Note that this chapter diverges right from Extra 1, so if you're thrown off by how it starts, reference the previous chapter's opening until it shifts viewpoints. Same as earlier, this takes place the day before Natsu's fight with Erza in AI's Chapter 8. How did these two lovely ladies pass the time? Let's find out!_

* * *

><p><strong>Extra 2<br>- No Parallels -**

Lucy watched as Lisanna exited the guild hall with Happy flying beside her, wishing her the best. She didn't expect that the little "family" would come back any different, that the parental figures would have attained that new depth to their relationship, but hey, she wasn't going to write it off as an impossibility, either. Three days as a member of Fairy Tail had taught her anything was definitely possible.

"So, you didn't have anything you needed to do today, did you?" Cana asked as they started back to the bar. She eagerly resumed her affair with the large barrel of alcohol she had momentarily left to poke fun at Natsu. "I had a job in mind, and since you promised me that we'd go on one together..."

"Yeah, of course," Lucy nodded cheerfully. "What is it?"

Cana's smile in response was sheepish, which was strange to see from such a confident young woman. "Well, here's the thing," she began slowly. "This isn't a real, paying job. It's actually a favor for an old friend of mine. I know you haven't made any money yet since you joined the guild, even though you've been on all those crazy little adventures, so I totally get it if you wanna back out."

As unfortunate as that was to hear, Lucy shook her head brightly. "No way," she said, remaining optimistic. "It's no big deal, I'll still go. What's the favor?"

Cana didn't fill her in immediately with anything other than assuring her it was just an easy locating mission. Once she finished the barrel, she grabbed an unopened bottle for the road, and the two girls left the hall on their way. Cutting through Magnolia's center, this was when Lucy was informed of the details.

"I was just a little girl when my mom passed away and I first joined Fairy Tail. Master Makarov let me into the guild just as easily as he let you; I didn't even have to tell him that I came to be with my father," Cana explained, stopping suddenly in speech. She realized what she let slip, and continued quickly, not allowing Lucy to prod any more about her living parent. "Still, I didn't know any magic back then, and even if I had, who would entrust someone so young with a serious job?

"Without any way of making money, I found a place to stay at an orphanage in town. Father Brock, the man who runs it, was really kind to me over the years, just as supportive as anyone in the guild. I left once I became proficient enough with my Card Magic to start supporting myself, but I still go back every now and again to help out in whatever way I can."

"That's really nice," Lucy said softly. Not that Cana had initially struck her as shallow by any means, but with the heavy drinking, skimpy wardrobe, and her wily demeanor, it wouldn't have been her first guess to think of her as rather tender. Revealing her background helped paint the older girl in a gentler light, and in the brunette's own words, everyone loved a pleasant surprise.

"Something like that," she replied nonchalantly as she twisted open the cap of her beverage. She courteously offered Lucy a swig, even though they both knew she'd decline. "Anyway, Father Brock contacted me earlier this morning asking if I could help find a little girl's missing doll," she continued between sips. "I didn't have anything better to do, but it's not like I was gonna say no either way."

Not long after, they came up to the small church grounds where Cana had formerly called home. It was nowhere near as grandiose as Kardia Cathedral in the middle of the city, but Lucy felt it had its own quaint charm. As they neared the cross-bearing gates, she couldn't help but think that perhaps Cana could've chosen to wear something a little less revealing for the occasion. For some reason, a church full of children didn't seem like the most appropriate place to don a bikini top.

"Oh, before I forget," she said in remembrance, materializing a card in her hand. It cast a glow over her torso, outfitting her in a fresh-scented white and orange Heart Kreuz tee. Lucy smiled at her friend having the presence of mind to alter her dress (she also made a note to ask to borrow the shirt at some point; she had a jacket, skirt and a pair of boots that would match for a totally cute autumn look).

"You can use all kinds of different spells with Card Magic, right?" she asked with genuine interest.

Cana nodded. "That was just a simple Requip spell, nothing as impressive as what Erza can do. You'll see for yourself tomorrow, when she trashes Natsu just as easily as this," she said, slipping her empty bottle into a conveniently-placed disposal bin to emphasize her point.

She lead her through the gates, and walked around the church to a second smaller building to the southwest of the grounds. Pushing the old double doors open, they entered the orphanage, where they were greeted with animated chattering in another room, and the aroma of a savory lunch wafting about. They navigated down the hallway to another set of doors, the source of the commotion.

"Ah, Cana!" a short, old man in priest robes smiled at her when she strode into the cafeteria with Lucy. Immediately, the large group of children flocked to the young women, encircling them with awe sparkling in their eyes. Father Brock prompted them into a chorus of greeting, then turned back to the stunning girl he had helped raised. "I really appreciate you coming here today, dear. And you've brought a friend along with you."

"It's no problem," Cana shrugged modestly. "This is Lucy, she's new to Fairy Tail. Lucy, Father Brock and the kids," she said, introducing the parties to one another. "Looks like you guys were about to have lunch. What's on the menu?"

Lucy watched with a warm smile as Cana playfully interacted with the youths, joking and patting their heads. It was clear that she was an idol to them. She, a prominent member of Magnolia's beloved Fairy Tail guild, had started from the same orphanage they currently resided. Her success story was an inspiration for the kids who often felt without a real place in the world, and fed their drive to rise above someday.

They quickly took a liking to the Celestial Wizard as well, making sure to include her in their attention. She could hear some of the boys away from the pack whispering in debate over who was prettier, and Lucy couldn't help but mentally celebrate that, new girl luster be darned, she was apparently in the lead.

"It's been fun catching up, but I am here on business," Cana reminded them, who groaned in response. She took the hand of a melancholy little girl with brown hair, about six or seven years old, that had been hanging in the back of the crowd, and lead her to an empty table with Lucy in tow. "So, Jamie, what happened to your doll?"

Jamie smiled at her heroine briefly, but reverted to her sad expression soon after. "Father Brock took us out to the park yesterday, and I brought along my favorite Seira doll with me," she explained. Lucy recognized the name as the main character of a highly popular light novel series, a pink-haired magical girl. "I played with some of the other girls for most of the day, but then the boys invited us to a game of tag, so I left Seira with Father Brock. But when it was time to go, he didn't have her anymore. He'd misplaced her."

Cana grinned, trying to lighten the mood. "You can trust the man to watch kids, but anything else, and he's totally helpless," she quipped. Jamie smiled again, but it wasn't for more than a second. "Alright, since I like you so much, here's what I'm gonna do for you. Take this."

Lucy observed as her friend handed Jamie one of her magic cards. Under her instruction, the little girl channeled her focus on her Seira doll into the card, even going as far as pressing the slow-blinking slip to her forehead. Cana giggled at the sight, then took the card back when its glowing became stable. "Does that mean you found her?" Jamie asked hopefully.

"Pretty much," she said, the young girl's face erupting into a permanent smile. "Just wait a little while for us, okay? We'll be back with Seira before you know it."

The rest of the kids all waved at the mages as they set off to retrieve the doll. The card was leading them to the more upscale districts of Magnolia, so they would once again have to traverse across the city. Fortunately, there was generous cloud coverage that day, and a cool breeze that allowed them to speak freely instead of whining about the heat.

"So is that how you helped Erza find Kageyama?" Lucy inquired. The redhead had explained that she'd found the Eisenwald member carrying Lullaby with a hand from the guild's number one drinker.

Cana nodded. "I actually took up Card Magic to locate my dad, to be able to foretell when he'd be returning to the guild," she said. She figured her father would be brought up at some point, so she might as well get it out of the way. Her tone indicated it wasn't a favorite subject of hers, though.

"Who is he?" Lucy wondered why no one had brought up her father before, especially with how close the two were getting since her admission.

The brunette remained silent with a faraway gaze, before giving a sigh. "What I'm about to tell you stays between us, got it?" She paused, letting Lucy seal the promise with a nod. "Here's the truth: no one in the guild knows that my father's a member, too. Not him, not Master Makarov, not Gray, no one. You're the first person I've told this to."

Lucy absorbed the pain behind her words. It was clear this was something that, despite her normal cheeky attitude, weighed heavily on the girl. "But he's why you joined Fairy Tail in the first place, isn't it? Why haven't you said anything to him?"

"Well, he's never around, for one," Cana muttered. "He'll show up for a few days, leave, and take ages to return again. The last time he was at the guild was over two years ago."

The wheels in Lucy's head began turning at the description. As vague as it was, it was reminiscent of a profile she'd heard of from Natsu and Lisanna the day before. She didn't want to give any indication that she already had a suspect, though. "You've been with the guild for twelve years now, I'm sure you've gotten a few chances at telling him. What else is holding you back?"

Another pause from Cana as she chose how to structure her answer. "I just... I was never able to say it. But when I got my first invitation to the S-Class trials four years ago, I decided I'd have to win, and become one of the top-ranking wizards in Fairy Tail before I could break it to him. I guess I wanted a reason for him to be proud of me, so he'd know what an amazing daughter he had."

Lucy felt her heart stir at the confession. She knew exactly what it felt like to want a father's approval, and she understood why Cana had chosen to aim for the highest pinnacle there was for a guild wizard. A second later, she realized the other reason why she'd been tormented over her lofty goal. "But you ran into Erza, Mira, and Mystogan, didn't you?"

Cana nodded with a small, self-depreciating smirk. "Everyone tells me I would've made S-Class a long time ago for any other guild. But Fairy Tail only grants the rank once a year, and those three, they're something else entirely. It's really not fair. This past year's quest was the best shot I've had so far, but I still wasn't able to pull it off against Freed. As sorry as I felt for myself, though, I couldn't help but feel bad that he didn't get S-Class."

Lucy noticed the slight blush at the mention of the man who defeated her, another glimpse into her beautiful, longing soul. She reached out and took her hand, causing her to stop. "Even if you aren't officially S-Class, you _are_ amazing," she said, squeezing gently. "My mom died when I was a little girl, too, and I didn't exactly have a dad be there for me, either. I know how hard it is to stand with all of that on your shoulders, but you, you make it look effortless."

"Careful, Lucy," Cana warned with a bashful grin. "A cute blonde, holding my hand and telling me all these pretty little things? I just might fall for you."

They giggled as resumed walking, remaining linked for another short stretch. "There's always next time for you, right?" Lucy asked.

"That's what I've been telling myself for four competitions now," Cana chuckled, "and with a new crop of guys like Gray and Natsu stepping up for their first opportunity, I doubt it'll get any easier."

"I know you can do it," the Celestial Wizard said resolutely. Thinking ahead to the possibility, it'd be difficult to cheer against her other friends in the guild if they were selected for the trials, but she was going to align to Cana's cause. Her story resounded in her, and she'd support her to that end, no matter what.

"Thanks. I appreciate it," Cana smiled gratefully.

At last, they reached the locator card's destination, a great mansion three stories high. They rang the doorbell at the gates, a middle-aged butler sharply attending to them seconds later. "What is your reason for coming to this estate?" he asked, his voice extremely formal.

"We're from the Fairy Tail guild," Cana said. She lifted up her shirt slightly, revealing the black stamp on the left of her waist. Lucy held up her hand as well, but giggled inwardly as the butler never removed his eyes from the brunette's flawless hips, the tiniest bit of pink coloring his otherwise stony visage. "We're looking for a doll that belonged to a little girl in our client's care, and I tracked its whereabouts here. Do you think you could help us out?"

The man respectfully inclined his head. "One moment, please."

Turning on his heel, he retreated back into the mansion. Cana and Lucy wondered if they were being ditched after being gone for several minutes, but he reappeared eventually, escorting a girl around Jamie's age to the gate. She had rich blonde curls that bounced with her steps, her arms gripped tightly around a smiling Seira figure with a disgruntled expression.

"I don't wanna give her up," she pouted insistently to the butler. "You gave her to me, so she's mine now!"

"Lady Cherami, please," the butler said soothingly, before turning to the young women with an apologetic smile behind his mustache. "I found this doll yesterday during a nightly stroll through the park. Lady Cherami is quite fond of this particular girl's adventure series, so I decided to bring it back to her. I didn't think she'd grow so attached to it so quickly, however."

Cana squatted to level with Cherami, giving her an encouraging smile. "That doll actually belongs to a little girl in an orphanage, and she's pretty bummed out that she lost her favorite toy. Could you please return it to her?"

Cherami briskly turned her head away from her. "I don't care that you're from Fairy Tail, I'm not listening to you! I wanna keep her, because I love Seira!"

Lucy spotted how Cana's eyebrow raised and her grin dropped at the girl's bratty attitude. Fearing what might result if she lost her patience, the blonde took over. "Lady Cherami, could you imagine if you suddenly lost everything you had?" The girl, still not looking at either of the mages, grew nervous at the thought. "Pretty scary, huh? Well, that's just what Jamie's feeling right now. The children in the orphanage don't have a whole lot, so their few possessions mean the world to them. As much as you love Seira, Jamie loves her even more. Don't you think it would be nice to give her back to her?"

The young girl hugged the doll closer, but her quivering lip indicated to Lucy she was breaking ground.

"Seira's a member of the NitroPlus guild, isn't she? Aren't they always talking about doing the right thing?" she continued. "If Seira were here, what do you think she would do?"

Cherami sighed. "She'd say to always help those in need," she answered, beginning to extend the figurine to them. She hesitated just before getting her within reach of the others outside the gate. "Is it fun to be in a guild?" she asked meekly.

"A lot of fun," the girls replied in earnest simultaneously.

"Then if I give Seira back, you have to promise that when I become a wizard just like her, you'll let me join Fairy Tail," she listed as her condition with a royal air.

"I'm sure that won't be a problem," Cana agreed with a smile. If she was serious about learning magic and being the best wizard she could be, there would definitely be a place for her at Fairy Tail.

She accepted the Seira doll from Cherami, who warned them not to forget about their promise. She and Lucy smiled at her enthusiasm, and bid her and the butler a sweet farewell as they set on course back to the orphanage. It was just as lively as when they'd first departed, as the kids were still caught up on their lovely visitors. They nearly knocked them over when they saw they'd returned, but the herd simmered down when Cana singled out Jamie.

"For you, little lady," she said, lowering to a knee as she handed her toy over.

"Thank you so much!" Jamie cried, throwing her free arm around the young woman. "You're the best, Cana!"

"Hey, it wasn't all me," she said, motioning to partner. "If Lucy hadn't been able to talk the girl who had Seira into giving her up, I probably would've had to snatch it from her and gotten myself thrown in jail, so we both gotta share the gratitude."

"Thank you, Lucy," Jamie smiled, switching her hug to the blonde's knees before she could bend down. Lucy patted her head gently, as the whole orphanage all began to clamor about how amazing the Fairy Tail girls were.

Cana and Lucy hung out for a little while longer, only leaving when the Card Wizard whispered over to her that it had been too long since her last drink. All of the children and Father Brock followed them out to the front doors, where he warmly shook their hands with both of his. "Again, my sincerest thanks for helping Jamie today," he said with a bow. "Now you two take care of yourselves. Cana, my dear, be strong in the face of vice."

"I'm practically immune," she winked, pulling him into a disconcerting hug at her chest. "If you ever need anything else, you know who to call."

As the two trekked back to the guild, Lucy couldn't help but look at Cana with greater admiration after finding out where she came from, and where she wanted to go. Everything she'd learned about her today - the fact that she'd provided for the orphanage's better living conditions with money from jobs, the genuine love she felt for those kids, her ultimate desire to achieve S-Class to finally 'meet' her father - it made her happy that she had another wonderful friend to grow with in Fairy Tail.

* * *

><p><em>Friendship is a beautiful thing, and the bond that was struck up between Lucy and Cana I felt was gold. Unfortunately, there hasn't been a whole lot of the two together since Tenrou Island, but in Another Imagining, they'll be interacting as best friends.<em>

_I also used this opportunity to shout-out to the girls' voice actresses, two of the best in the business, and make reference to the brilliant world of 5pb.'s Science Adventure series. If you don't know them, seriously check them out._

_So of course, I hope you guys enjoyed this installment. I'm just as fond of reviews as I am of Lucy and Cana, so by all means, we'd love to hear from you!_


	3. Extra 3

_For this entry of Sidestories, I decided I wanted to shine the spotlight on Gray and his relationship with Ur. I really liked her from what we got to see of her, and I actually found myself much more invested in her than I thought I was during one of Gray's later fights in the series (for the sake of preventing spoilers, I won't give any details on that. I hope that those caught up know who I'm talking about, though)._

_I didn't get to use Ur as a character in AI, so I'll take the opportunity to do so here. As for where this fits in the main story, that'd be the beginning of Chapter 10, after Gray departs from Erza and goes on the way to his final showdown with Lyon. So, I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

><p><strong>Extra 3<br>- Hello Cold World -**

Even with his body threatening to collapse, Gray continued to drag himself back to the temple. No matter how much his bandaged bruises ached with each step, he had to stop Lyon. He needed to. Erza had trusted him to defeat his former friend, and he refused to let her down. His surrogate sister had placed in him the same faith that his surrogate mother had, a faith she'd carried for him from the day he awoke to her warm smile, to the night she sacrificed herself for the sake of her two pupils.

Ur had been so wonderful to him. Being an bitter child, angry at his lot in life, he didn't appreciate her nurturing at the time, but after she managed to defeat Deliora with the pyrrhic Iced Shell technique, he came to understand how much he'd taken her for granted. As he pressed forward to the base of the pyramid, his pain began to alleviate as he allowed his mind to wander to the most cherished memories he had of that kind, beautiful Ice-Make Wizard.

**- 0 -**

_"Hey," a soft voice fluttered into his ears as he slowly began to crack his eyes. "Hey, little guy? How do you feel?"_

_Gray absorbed the sights before him drowsily, the most prominent of which was a concerned-looking woman that he failed to recognize. "What's going on? Who are -?"_

_He suddenly remembered the last events of his consciousness. He began to thrash about under the sheets he was tucked into, screaming wide-eyed at the top of his lungs as his mind raced with horrifying images of burning buildings, bodies crushed by rubble, and his ears were filled with the agonized yells of the innocent, the apocalyptic roars of the giant demon that destroyed all._

_"Whoa, calm down! Calm down!" the woman said, placing her hands on the boy's shoulders to keep him in place. Nevertheless, he refused to stop squirming._

_"Deliora! Deliora's attacking us! We have to get away!" he cried to her._

_"Just take a deep breath, kid, and look around you!" she said, managing to settle him with a single strong rock. Gray did as he was told, slowly inhaling as he regained the better part of his composure. He scanned the room first, finding himself in what appeared to be a simple but peaceful hotel quarters. He caught a glimpse of the outside through the window next to him, seeing a quiet, undisturbed night. He found he was laying on a bed, the sheets the only thing apparently askew in the world, and that was from his episode a moment ago._

_At last he came to settle on the woman, the only person there with him. As a young boy who had yet to seriously distinguish the opposite gender, even he couldn't help but notice how pretty she was. She seemed fairly young, but there was a mature softness to her that reminded him of his mother._

_"My mom!" Gray shouted in reminder of what had happened, beginning to freak out once more. "Where's my mom? And my dad?"_

_She averted her eyes, his worst fears confirmed before she opened her mouth. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "You're the only survivor I found."_

_In the second that it took for reality to tear open his heart, Gray noticed a short figure at the door, peering at them through the small gap. Then he broke down, sobbing uncontrollably until only an exhausted sleep was able to overcome his emotions._

**- 0 -**

_"My name's Ur," the woman with the chin-length hair introduced herself the next morning. Gray didn't have the energy to look at her or even to sit up, instead remaining on his side. The mattress against his cheek was still cold and wet from his tears the night before, but he hardly noticed the uncomfortable condition._

_All he could think about was that his parents were dead._

_"What's your name?" Ur inquired delicately, sitting at the foot of the bed._

_It took a moment before he choked out an automated response. "Gray," he said, his throat painfully dry._

_"Gray," she repeated, casting a look at the door, again left ajar. "Would you like something to drink? We made hot chocolate."_

_For some reason, her saying 'we' prompted him to weakly push himself to recline against his pillow. Taking this as a sign of acceptance, Ur nodded at the door, and a boy, likely his age, came in with a tray holding a steaming mug. She received the tray from the boy, and invited Gray to the drink. He slowly grabbed the handle and brought it to his lips, flinching when the scalding liquid hit his tongue._

_"Is that too hot for you?" she asked, reaching out and placing her fingertip on the side of the mug. The steam instantly vanished, and when he took his next sip, he found the chocolate to be at an ideal temperature. He downed it all in just a few hearty gulps, cooling his burned tastebuds and leaving him feeling somewhat replenished._

_"Thanks," he muttered, placing the mug back on the tray before Ur set it beside her. After another lengthy pause, in which he looked between her and the other kid, he managed to use his rediscovered voice to begin asking questions. "So what's going on? Who are you? And where am I?"_

_"Like I said, I'm Ur, and this is my student, Lyon," she said, gesturing to the boy. Lyon offered him a bow and a small, polite smile in greeting. "We're in a motel in Sedona, a small village a few miles away from your hometown. Lyon and I were here for a job when we heard about what happened in Isvan, so we went to see the damage for ourselves. That's where we found you. It's been three days since then."_

_"You brought me with you?" Gray didn't sound exactly grateful at having been rescued, perhaps even disappointed._

_"Well, I wasn't just gonna leave you there by yourself," Ur replied, her tone hardening slightly before easing again. "You were the only one that managed to escape Deliora. It wouldn't have been right if I didn't help you."_

_Gray fell silent again, his hair obscuring his eyes as he gripped the bedsheets. His frame shivered as he began to sniffle. Ur decided to give him a moment alone, so after patting his knee, she took Lyon and had him exit the room first. She watched Gray lie back down as she closed the door, but right before the bolt clicked, she heard him ask something else. Because he was facing the wall next to the bed, his words sounded distant, but she had understood what he said perfectly._

_"What am I supposed to do now?"_

_"You lived, didn't you?" she responded quietly. "So, live."_

**- 0 -**

_Four days had passed since that morning. It had been a week since Ur had saved Gray from the wreckage of Isvan, but the boy had remained comatose for the first three-day stretch. Even after waking up, he barely seemed aware of the things around him, looking lost as the master and student transferred him to their home in Flagstaff. He was so despondent, rarely speaking in full sentences and just cracking his mouth open to eat. She felt terrible for it, but she was beginning to lose patience with boy._

_"Look, Gray," she said as he poked at his near-untouched lunch, Lyon almost finished with his serving. "I know you've been through a lot, but you gotta snap out of this funk at some point. Whenever you feel up to it, meet me and Lyon outside; we can help you take your mind off things."_

_Ur extended the proposition for two more days in a row, with Gray declining every time, opting to sit in solitude on the bed she'd made for him. By the third day, she wasn't leaving it as a choice any more._

_"I wanna stay inside," he tried to defy her as she handed him a jacket and scarf._

_"Not today," she said, ushering him towards the back door. She walked him to the middle of her vast backyard at the foot of a mountainous forest, colorless with snow draping every inch he could see of the expanse. Lyon had been waiting for her, eagerly jumping up from the uprooted tree he'd been sitting on. "Normally this is when I'd begin Lyon's lessons, but today I just wanted to show you some of what I've been teaching him."_

_"Ur's a master of Ice-Make Magic," Lyon explained, his slanted eyes growing large with excitement. "She's so amazing, and really powerful. She could be one of the Ten Wizard Saints!"_

_Life flickered in Gray's expression when he was told this. It was the first instance of her seeing anything but depression from the boy. Inspired by the change, Ur went on to create all kinds of moldings with her tremendous reserve of energy. Stationary objects, animated creatures, but what she truly prided herself in was her flower theme. She'd always preferred that particular flair, and it had become her signature as her reputation spread across the kingdom. Other wizards proficient in Maker Magic had tried to imitate her style, but no one else could duplicate the beautiful details of her floral designs._

_Ur capped off her demonstration by producing a single rose, carefully holding out her yellow-tinted sculpture by the thorny stem. "For you," she said, presenting it to Gray. Tears began to bead around the corners of his eyes, but this time, they were accompanied by a tiny smile as he accepted her gift._

**- 0 -**

_"Are you really strong enough to be one of the Wizard Saints?" Gray asked her that night after dinner, coming up behind her as she washed the dishes._

_Ur finished up rinsing a bowl, then shut off the water and dried her hands with towel. "I guess," she shrugged with a smirk, turning around to lean against the sink. "I'm sure there are plenty of mages out there who're more powerful than I am, but a guy I know from the Magic Council always said I would make it in if I wanted to. I kinda used to get the feeling they were just looking for eye candy, though. Incidentally, he stopped approaching me so much after I got married."_

_This new bit of information registered in Gray's mind, but he had something he had to follow through on first before he could inquire about anything else. "Then could you beat Deliora?"_

_Ur's playful demeanor vanished at the question. "What're you getting at, Gray?"_

_"I don't want you to go after Deliora," he clarified, balling his fists. "I want you to teach me magic like Lyon. Make me strong enough so I can kill that demon myself."_

_She held his steadfast gaze for a moment. A fire, whether it was sparked by recent events, or rekindled from the embers of the boy he always was, was burning inside of Gray. Ur knew that if she didn't help him tame that anger, then it would consume him, eat at his vulnerable soul. If it got to that point, he wouldn't be able to fulfill the wish she'd made for him._

_"I'll teach you," she nodded. It wasn't going to be easy for either of them, but she would instruct him. She wasn't going to let him fall prey to the darkness Deliora had cast in his life, so she would do her best to see him rise above and become a demon's nightmare._

**- 0 -**

_"Ice-Make Magic is stupid," the shivering Gray scoffed with his arms crossed over his bare chest. "How am I supposed to kill Deliora with bunnies and roses? Teach me something I can actually use against him."_

_"Maker Magic is limited only by your imagination," Lyon frowned at him, defending his beloved master with the first lesson she'd taught him. "If used correctly, anything you dream of could have a great purpose. Ur can't show us any advanced spells if you still haven't learned the basics, though."_

_"I'm not learning anything right now!" Gray snapped. "Running around the snowy mountains in just our underwear's not doing anything for me, and these dumb little animals are completely useless! I need to learn something powerful for when I fight Deliora!"_

_Ur placed her hands on her hips. "Everyone has to start with the basics. I understand how you feel -"_

_"No, you don't!" he interrupted. "You don't know anything about how I feel! What have you lost that comes close to my parents being killed? Huh? Nothing, I bet, so don't try to act like you know what I'm going through!"_

_The ice mage couldn't help but break into a sardonic chuckle at that, further angering the boy. "I've lost things, too, Gray. Precious things. I know how painful it is to have your world collapse on you, and you'd do well to keep in mind that a lot of people you'll meet in life could share similar stories with you. Do you wanna hear mine?"_

_Gray scowled at her, but was otherwise ready to listen. Lyon, on the other hand, already knew her tale and how it much it hurt her to relive it. "You don't have to explain yourself to him," he said quietly._

_"He should know," Ur smiled at him, ruffling his silvery-blue hair before looking at Gray. "I said I was married before, didn't I? Ever wondered why you've never seen a man around here, or why I've never talked about a husband? It's because he left me when I told him I was pregnant. He never wanted to have children, and even though it made me sad to think I wouldn't be a mother, I respected his wishes because I loved him. However, things didn't quite go as he wanted. He grabbed all his things, and marched out without a single look back. I haven't seen or spoken to him since then. I was heartbroken, but at least I knew I wouldn't be alone for very long."_

_The boy from Isvan suddenly felt a pang of guilt at Ur's sorrowful expression. She gingerly rested a hand over her exposed stomach, her head lowered to obscure her eyes, and Gray began to feel even worse when he realized why she'd also refrained from mentioning a child. "And your son, or daughter...?"_

_"My daughter passed away two years ago," Ur replied softly. "She was born with an overabundance of magical energy. She'd always been frail, but she tried to never let that get in the way of living a normal life - until her magic became too much for her to bear. I wanted to do whatever I could to help her, so I took her to a facility that promised to help her. But instead, during that time, her body gave out, and..."_

_"I'm sorry," Gray whispered when she didn't resume speaking. He had no idea that she'd been through something like that. He'd known Ur as a calm woman, with a warm and bright demeanor. For her to remain so optimistic after her husband abandoned her, and after the death of her child, it gave him hope that some day, he wouldn't feel so tormented himself._

**- 0 -**

_Ur was gone. Lyon had taken off, as well._

_Gray's frustration had boiled over, leading him to the stupidest mistake he could've made. He'd sought after Deliora, and tried to fight it with only his intermediate level of Ice-Make Magic. By some miracle, he had survived encountering the titan once more, but his life, along with his fellow student's, was granted through their master sacrificing hers._

_He tried staring absently out the train's window, but he always caught the pathetic look in his eyes in his faint reflection, which made him turn away. His anger had yet to dissipate, but now it was mostly aimed at himself. Lyon had rightfully accused him of being the reason that Ur was no longer alive as everyone else was. If it hadn't been for his recklessness, then she'd still be living in her quaint cottage by the woods, still being happy to show her two adorable students the ways of magic._

_As the train pulled into a station, he saw a woman, perhaps Ur's age, leading a pair of young twin boys to the entrance of his car. One of the kids was well-behaved, smiling as he held his mother's hand, while the other discontentedly tugged at her long skirt. The woman sighed as she sat them down opposite her, but her delight was apparent. As trying as they could be at times, it was clear she loved her children._

_The scene struck at Gray. From the moment he'd met Ur, she'd always prioritized the well-being of her pupils. She'd cared for him and Lyon as if they were her own, but not as replacements for her daughter. She'd wanted them to grow into good men, to leave a positive imprint in the world that had shaken them._

_Ur wanted them to be happy. She wanted their spirits to go through their struggles with their heads held high, and to explore the best of whatever lay ahead of their paths. Yes, he was alone once again, but he wouldn't be for very long, because he would take her wish to heart. He would go where he would be accepted by people just as kind as her, who wanted the same happiness for him, and he in turn would get to be a part of theirs._

_Ur, before settling with her husband, had been a famous member of a wizarding guild. Always modest about her tremendous strength, she'd described her old home as a wonderful place. She'd suggested that the boys join one when she finished their instructions, so they could get to learn things she wouldn't be able to teach them. She'd told them of a number of guilds that could interest them, but even as he tried tuning her out, there was one organization that had proved memorable to him._

_The guild in Magnolia, southwest of the region he'd been born in, had been steadily gaining popularity for their collection of powerful, affable and reliable mages. Ur had spoken highly of some of their members that she'd been acquainted with, and after some soul searching about where to go next, Gray decided he wanted to join a guild she would approved of, a guild that shared her philosophy of always seeking out moments that would make his heart swell with the joy of being together and helping others._

_Gray decided he would join Fairy Tail._

**- 0 -**

The last thing that Gray thought of before getting back to the top of the temple was how he and Lyon branched out after Ur used the Ice Shell. He, who had been a dissatisfied brat for most of the time he'd been with her, had accepted her final gift and lived to the fullest at his guild. Lyon, on the other hand, who had always been so full of enthusiasm and energy as a boy getting to learn from his idol, had descended into a twisted vision of self-serving avenging.

He wanted to help his former friend. He'd felt that rage before. It had clouded his once-noble dream of surpassing his master, wasting a decade of his life that he could've spent actually living like Ur wanted. Gray understood Lyon was beyond simply listening to words, so there would was only one way he could hope to get to him.

With a deep breath, fueled by the memory of Ur and the confidence of his friends, he launched himself up, ready to put an end to this icy chapter in their lives.

* * *

><p><em>Ur was a very wonderful lady, and I'm happy that I was able to write her in some capacity, after all. I'm actually very proud of how this piece turned out, and hopefully, you guys think I did Ur justice, too.<em>

_So, I bet you're wondering now what the next Sidestory will be. Well, it relates to the next arc in Fairy Tail, so I won't be giving away too much. I will say that it's not going to tragically tug at your heartstrings, as it's more comedy-oriented. In any case, if you wanna review this chapter, I'd greatly appreciate hearing your thoughts. Thanks, and see you next time!_


	4. Extra 4

_After the last heartfelt episode of Sidestories, we're shifting gears a little with lighter chapter this time around: Lucy's first time at Fairy Hills! I really enjoyed the OVA, so I knew I had to try my hand at my own version at some point!_

_Of course, this takes place near the end of Chapter 11, after the guild hall was destroyed by Phantom Lord. So without any further ado, let's venture into the girls' dormitories! (I'm definitely not wriggling my fingers mischievously over here)._

* * *

><p><strong>Extra 4<br>- What Eroge Is This?! -**

"Are you sure you brought enough with you?" Erza, the Head Girl of Fairy Hills, asked Lucy as they walked together up the path to the dormitory. If their roles had been reversed, more than a single bag would've been required for everything she would've wanted to have brought over.

"It'll just be for a few nights, right?" Lucy replied. "Hopefully this issue with Phantom Lord gets resolved soon, but if I need anything else, I could just go back for it."

"Indeed," Erza nodded, turning serious at the mention of the rival guild. "I can't say that I expect Phantom Lord to stop with just our main guild hall. We have smaller branches located in other cities, and it's possible that they could be targeted as well. I didn't want to disagree with Master Makarov, but standing idle against them only invites further action. I don't believe fighting them outright is the best solution, although we could do more than simply wait for the Magic Council to respond to their crime."

"I'm not sure anyone else would be on the same page about not fighting them outright."

At this, Erza smiled. "Yes, we are an implacable bunch, aren't we?" Reaching the top of the knoll, the two passed underneath the archway emblazoned with the structure's name as they came to the front porch. "But, let's not weigh down your first visit here with any more thoughts on the matter. Welcome to Fairy Hills."

Lucy's heart drummed excitedly. This was an experience she unfortunately missed out on when she initially joined the guild, but now that she was finally at the girls' dormitories, she had to contain herself from letting her giddiness override her composure. It was the same feeling as when she was first brought to Fairy Tail by Natsu and Happy, but at least this time, the doors would be utilized as they were meant to be, instead of being kicked open.

"So you guys made it," Cana grinned at them in the lobby, half-lying on the couch with a bottle at her lips. "Lisanna was starting to get worried. She was on the verge of running out and looking for you with that strictly-platonic-except-not-really best friend of hers."

The white-haired girl gave her a blushing smirk from the adjacent armchair. "I knew they'd be okay. Lucy was with one of Fairy Tail's _two_ female S-Class Wizards," she teased back.

Cana accepted the rib with a tip of her drink. "She may seem all sweet and innocent," she winked at Lucy, "but watch out; that catgirl's got claws, and she'll scratch ya where it hurts."

Lucy smiled at their playful girl banter, while Erza lead her to the foot of the stairs. "I'm taking her to my room so she can leave her things," she called out to them. "Afterwards, I'll be showing her around the facility, so if you'd like to take the opportunity to tidy up your rooms..."

Cana and Lisanna sheepishly grinned, as if such an effort would be futile. Nevertheless, they accompanied Erza and Lucy up to third floor, where they quickly opened and closed their doors behind them after departing from the two. Erza brought the blonde to the middle of the corridor, and allowed her into her quarters. At first Lucy wanted to compliment Erza on her simple but classy decor style, but then she noticed the series of missing walls on the right, extending to every room left on that side of the building.

The redhead had mentioned she had plural rooms, but Lucy wasn't expecting that she was taking up the rest of the hallway. "These are all your armors?" she asked after recovering from the shock. Mannequins, dressed in various battle outfits, were lined in rows, creating a sea of lifeless warriors brandishing intimidating weaponry. (And then, there were those rather odd ensembles littered throughout).

"These are just the ones I don't have space for in my dimensional inventory," Erza explained. "I've reached my limit as to how many I can carry at a time, but I want to someday grow strong enough to include them all. In the past year I was able to add a whole room, so I decided to remodel it into a spare bedroom in case I had a visitor."

"Planning on inviting someone over?" Lucy asked casually, setting her bag at the foot of the first room's bed at her gesturing, even as she wondered how insanely powerful the magical knight was to have filled her considerable pocket dimension already, and with such a collection still lying in wait.

Erza got a faraway look in her eyes as she stared out of the sole window, facing the blue of the lake and sky. "I'd hope so," she whispered a moment later.

After showing off some of the wicked armors she had planned on making room for first, they exited back into the hallway. Just as they were about to descend to the second floor, a door on the other side of Erza's estate opened to reveal a tote-carrying Levy. "Hey, Lucy!" she said brightly. "So what do you think of Fairy Hills?"

"It's really nice," she answered as they approached her. "I've just seen Erza's rooms so far. She was about to show me the bathroom downstairs just now."

"You should see my room before I go," Levy invited, widening the entrance with her hip. Lucy stepped inside, and wasn't at all surprised to find it filled with books. The extent of which, however, was breathtaking, as it was practically a library's worth. Every available inch of wall was a bookshelf, and even then more were brought in to accommodate the vast selection, leaving enough space to form a narrow path to Levy's bed. "I'm sorry I'm gonna miss the fun with you tonight, but the boys really wanted to have me over. As a consolation, I'll let you borrow anything here you might want to read."

"No need to apologize," Lucy smiled. "And thanks, but I'll take a rain check on that for now. I don't think I'd be able to stop if I started looking through all those, and I don't wanna keep you."

Erza coughed. "I'll take you up on that, if you don't mind, Levy," she said shiftily, plucking a red hardcover novel with her grinning approval.

Once they were back out in the hallway, the redhead swiftly ducked into her room to store the book, never having let Lucy see what she'd procured. The Celestial Wizard asked Levy what kind of stories she liked to read, but the blue-haired girl only managed to wink at her as Erza returned. "So you're gonna show Lucy the bathroom? It's too bad it's still busted, I miss how _steamy_ it can get in there."

"If your room's ventilation doesn't allow for a proper bathing experience, I'll arrange to fix that as well," Erza said, oblivious to her secret meaning. Levy left them at the second floor, hugging Lucy with the promise that they'd catch up later. Erza took her into the public baths, a long room that would've been serenely relaxing if the grand pool wasn't missing a sizable chunk of its border, with cracks running along the floor from the damage. "There was... an _incident,_ last week," she offered vaguely.

With the impression that she wasn't going to give more details, Lucy didn't bother asking. Their next destination took them to the door across from the bathroom, to Bisca's quarters. The gunslinging girl cheerfully showed off her room, occupied with exotic animals and plantlife crawling up the walls.

"Normally pets aren't allowed in Fairy Hills," she said, brushing the mane of her loyal steed as it whinnied softly, "but Erza makes an exception for me, so long as she gets to come over and play with them whenever she likes."

"We have no such agreement. I simply trust Bisca to be responsible, nothing more," the Head Girl said dutifully, holding out a carrot for the horse as she simultaneously let a thin snake swirl around her arm, and a golden retriever energetically wagged its tail at her feet. Lucy was not convinced by her defense.

She watched in amusement as Erza went through petting each Bisca's animals before dismissing themselves. The following room they visited belonged to Laki, a dimly lit box filled with strange, painful-looking contraptions she had manufactured through her Wood-Make Magic.

"What do you think of my gallery? I'm currently working on my magnus opus in my free time," Laki said, devilishly raising her gleaming glasses as she presented a large, humanoid case. It opened to reveal it was lined with deadly spikes, both within the body and the door. Lucy gave her a nervous thumbs-up as she tried to keep from imagining just what the young woman applied her art for, and feared for Erza's safety as she poked curiously at the devices new to her.

When they were back outside, Erza pointed down to the end of the hallway, signaling to Evergreen's room. Since she was there the least of all the girls, and was also as detached from them as she could manage, even the armored wizard was unsure of its contents. They climbed back upstairs, where Cana's dorm was the next stop.

"I did what I could," the brunette shrugged as she let them in. Lucy had been expecting a mess, but found that everything was generally in its place. A long shelf for rare alcohols was set up on the far wall, most of them only sampled at best. Cards were strewn over her desk, but that was about as far as the disorder went - until the closet door burst open. A large pile of clothing tumbled out, and Lucy couldn't help but discreetly sneak glances at her friend's daring assortment of underwear as Cana tried to stuff it all back in. "This always happens," she grumbled as she shoveled her unmentionables. "I don't get they do it; these are practically nonexistent."

She waved Erza and Lucy off to let her deal with her quandary, so the duo then knocked on the room across from her. Lisanna opened up, still displaying a shade of embarrassment as the blonde took a look around. There was no rhyme or reason to any of her random belongings or how they were scattered about, except that some appeared years old, some were in less than perfect condition.

"These are all mementos from missions I've been on with Mira and Elfman, and Natsu and Happy," she explained. "My siblings let me hang on to most of what we bring back, so the boys keep most of what we've gotten together."

"That's so cool," Lucy said earnestly, curious to one day hear the story behind the items. She would've bet to have seen a zoo up there after Bisca, but this was a heartwarming monument to how much she loved her family. It would've been even more so, if it hadn't all been so cluttered. If the sensible Lisanna had this much of a catastrophe, she shuddered to think what Natsu' and Happy's house looked like.

"So you've saved the best for last?" a sultry voice asked behind them. They turned around, to see Mira standing at the doorway with a smirk. "Keep those expectations tempered, Lucy," she advised as she wagged them over with a finger.

Her room was beside her younger sister's, and at this point Lucy was prepared for anything - except complete normalcy. Mira's room was the cleanest and most organized of all, with limited personalized touches established in the square. The only thing to suggest a sense of rebelliousness amongst the placid innocence was a sharp, violet electric guitar that stood mounted next to a plain acoustic variant, but that was offset by the array of plushy animals sitting on her bed.

"Your room is so cute," she complimented, resisting the urge to dive onto the marshmallow-like comforter and its stuffed inhabitants.

"You'd never figure a girl once known as 'The She-Demon' sleeps here, huh?" Mira replied, crossing her arms as her grin spread. "Well, as long as you don't go through my wardrobe, anyway. Then you might start to catch on."

Lucy wondered if it truly could be more risque than Cana's, but just as she was about to brush off the thought, she remembered how competitive Mira could be. The title of Sexiest Wizard was not one she would likely concede, especially not to a girl from her own guild. With the S-Class mage's sinister smirk looming over her otherwise precious room, Lucy mentally kicked herself for doubting her claim for even one second.

**- 0 -**

After the whole congregation of young women were served dinner on the house, they all went to their rooms and changed into their sleeping outfits to group together once more on the first floor. Erza waited for Lucy on the other side of their door to head back to their room, having Requipped in the blink of an eye into a lavender pajama set.

"I'd love to learn how to do that," Lucy said, reappearing in a comfortable T-shirt and sweatpants.

"It can be very practical," she agreed as they made their way down to the common room. Bisca and Laki had been the first to arrive, dressed in a short nightgown, and a fluffy robe, respectively. "I know it's exciting having Lucy stay with us," she told them, her voice carrying up the stairs to reach the oncoming girls, "but let's try to be on our best behavior. We don't need this to end up like what happened in the bathroom, okay?"

"We could've avoided that if you - oh, never mind," Cana said as she entered next. An oversized band tee just covered her upper half, leaving her long, silky legs dangerously exposed. "And hey, you can spare me the glare, Erza. I'm wearing panties this time."

"'Atta girl," Lisanna, dressed in black boyshorts and a tank top, commended with a big smile, coming in behind her. "Guess I win this one, Mira."

"Oh well," her big sister sighed with a smirk as she made her entrance. "At least I'm not going to be outdone, though."

Lucy's eyes flew open as Mira sauntered in, wearing the most exquisite lingerie she'd ever seen. Her lace-trimmed pink babydoll and matching bottoms, along with stockings held up by a garterbelt, were even more of a knockout than any of her bikini shoots for Sorcerer Weekly, and the blonde made sure to take mental photographs of the exclusive vision.

"Anyway," Cana said, not at all bothered by the bet over what was under her shirt, rallying them all in a circle on the couches. "So now for the fun part of the night. First question: what boy from the guild would you most like to bring over to your room?"

Nervous but excited giggling rose up around the circle, and Lucy dreaded having to answer as they started around the group. With the way Cana grinned over at her, she knew the order was deliberately set up for her to go last.

"Well... Alzack," Bisca replied first, her blush prominent. The other girls _awwed_ at the admission of her long-time crush on her partner, even if it had been apparent forever. "He's been so sweet to me ever since I joined Fairy Tail, we've got so much in common... and he's a total stud without all that hair in his face."

"I'm not sure any of the guys would get my work. Maybe Bickslow might?" Laki pondered, drawing _ooohs_ from the gathering. When they thought about it, the purple-haired girl and the most out-there member of the Thunder Legion seemed like they could have some rather interesting conversations.

Erza, next to go, crossed her arms. "I think of all the boys in the guild as brothers." The girls playfully booed her response, but she remained unmoved to change her position on the subject.

"Is there someone _outside_ of Fairy Tail that you're interested in, Erza?" Mira asked coyly, leaning in closer to her rival as she got a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "Or maybe, you were just waiting for a cute new _girl_ to join the guild, to invite up to that convenient spare bedroom of yours?"

At this, the redhead's composure fractured as her cheeks began to take on a scarlet tint. "No! To both! There is no one outside Fairy Tail, and I'm sorry, Lucy, but we can only be friends!" she shouted, her reaction now getting them all laughing.

"Ah, that's too bad. You're really cute when you're flustered, Erza," Lucy said with a smile, feeling her boldness enabled by the ambiance. The laughs doubled as the knight fully blushed, and some of the girls even considered hopping aboard that ship.

The turn then shifted to Lisanna, her face already flushing pink. Just as she opened her mouth, however, Cana held up a hand to stop her. "Nope. You're exempt from this round, missy, because we all know your answer. And besides, you've already tried to sneak a boy in."

Lucy raised her eyebrows at the information, as the others smirked deviously at the Take Over mage in remembrance. She was having a little trouble imagining the scenario, but, that strictly-platonic-except-not-really best friend of Lisanna's was a boy, after all...

"It wasn't like that!" she cried defensively, mostly at Lucy, because no one else had believed her out the first time around. "I already told you, I hadn't been feeling well that day, so Natsu came over to check up on me!"

"Through your window, at 1 in the morning?" Mira teased skeptically. "He was lucky Erza got to him before I did. Otherwise, I would've made him rethink ever coming near my little sister again."

"I went easy on him because he claimed he only wanted to make you feel better," Erza said (the snickering was right on cue for that entendre), "but I made sure he understood never to set foot on Fairy Hills again."

"So what about you, Mira?" Cana asked, directing the heat from the youngest Strauss daughter to the eldest. It seemed as if the model's love life was the subject of much fascination, as the girls all looked highly attentive at how she'd reply. "Who'd be fortunate enough to have the privilege - or unfortunate?"

Mira smirked back at the brunette, ready to change which way the pot was being stirred. "I guess I'd go with Freed," she said with an overdose of sugar in her voice. "He's so handsome, and strong, and mysterious. I remember he was blushing so much when I offered him a copy of my first magazine spread, it was totally cute." Even though it had only been for a split second, Cana's eyes had noticeably narrowed. "Oh, you weren't planning on naming him, were you? I'm sorry."

"Not at all," Cana grinned, finding her brashness once more. "The boy I'd like to invite over the most is actually Happy. I think it'd be pretty fun to sit around with him and plan pranks on all of you." This too was met with jeers from the circle, who let the Card Wizard know that was an even bigger cop-out answer than Erza's. She payed them no mind, though, as she was locked in a staring battle with Mira.

Lucy could already see how this was likely to end, and cleared her throat to speak and hopefully break up the tension. Problem was, she didn't exactly have any Fairy Tail guy in mind, resulting in more of a soft cough than a way to draw their focus. It wasn't that there weren't any attractive young men to choose from (off the top of her head, Loke and Gray were quality selections that hadn't been mentioned yet, and Natsu and Freed for those who had), she just didn't see any of them in a particularly special light.

"What did I say about being on your best behavior for Lucy?" Erza asked precariously, and the blonde was thankful for the save - for a moment. Cana and Mira turned their frowns on her, finding a new outlet to unload on.

"Next question: what's going on with you and that Magic Council guy, Siegrain?!" they demanded of the redhead, jabbing their fingers at her face.

The effect was instantaneous. Erza roared as she sprang up for them, Requipping a sword in each hand. Everyone but her targets scattered out of the way, as the two other strongest women in Fairy Tail summoned their own magic to brawl it out. There was a heavy burst of light that overtook the room, and Lucy could feel the shockwaves of their meeting as she barricaded behind the couch with Lisanna.

When everything seemed calm, the two girls slowly poked their heads over their hiding spot. Bisca had used the loveseat for cover, while Laki had managed to make it into the hallway. They were also checking out the damage, a crater in the carpeted floor where Erza, Mira, and Cana lay on their backs. The trio was conscious, but their clothes (as little as there was to begin with) were worse for wear.

"Perhaps I acted rashly," Erza admitted.

"I probably shouldn't have asked that," Cana followed.

"No regrets." Mira, of course.

**- 0 -**

The Head Girl dismissed everyone for the night in the wake of the common room battle, then retreated into her private bath to wash up. Lucy stood around in Erza's main bedroom, wondering where it was exactly she would be sleeping. She had always taken to mean that the spare bedroom was to be hers, but when she thought back, the only time Erza had been specific at all was where she was supposed to leave her bag, at the main bed.

She was tired after the day's events, ready to escape to a world of dreams, and so she decided to play it safe and took the second room. The last few seconds she could remember was hearing the bathroom door opening, before slipping into a land cognizant of Phantom Lord's menace.

Erza manually changed into another of the same pajama set and brushed her damp hair, in the quiet as she suspected Lucy was already asleep. She checked in on the blonde girl for confirmation, but found her features troubled at the apparent nightmare she was having.

She sighed softly, feeling sympathetic. After the disturbing image of their guild hall totaled, it came as no surprise that it would pervade their subconscious. Erza fully expected to be a victim of a nightmare, as well, which spurred her into climbing into the same bed as Lucy.

Erza settled behind her, holding her around the waist. If the two of them shared such a close space, then maybe they could ward off the bad thoughts. It was the Fairy Tail way to stand together, after all, so it made sense that they should lay together, right? Her mind briefly flickered ahead to how she'd explain the situation in the morning, but decided to deal with it then. For now, she just wanted to sleep with one of her warm sisters beside her.

* * *

><p><em>Well that was fun. I tried to keep it from getting too naughty for now, deliberately avoiding a bathing scene, because this was not the time to feature it. Does that mean we have one coming later on? And in the main fic? No spoilers!<em>

_So I really hoped you enjoyed this chapter, because I had a blast writing it... what? But anyway, if you wanna tell me just how much you loved it, you can, with the handy-dandy review function! Thanks again, and stay tuned!_


End file.
